ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · degree · present · hide · saw · vault · straw · sharp

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. saw — the tool
  3. vault — a safe
  4. present — the time now
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. present — there
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — temperature
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. degree — from a university
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. present — a gift
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. saw — the tool
  24. sharp — clever

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com